Tappahannock church celebrates golden anniversary
Near the banks of the Rappahannock River sits St. Timothy Catholic Church, home to a small but strong community. The parishioners can measure their milestones by the sacraments they’ve received within its walls. Baptism, first reconciliation, first Eucharist, confirmation and marriage were all celebrated here.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the parish officially becoming part of the Diocese of Richmond, and it celebrated its golden jubilee on May 1 with a Mass celebrated by Bishop Barry C. Knestout.
This sprawling yet tight-knit Tappahannock community dates back long before 1972. In the early 20th century, there was no proper Catholic church in the area; the nearest one was hours away. The devout spent entire Sundays traveling to and from Mass.
Over time, as the Catholic population grew and became more organized, members of the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity, known as “Trinitarians,” who served the rural South, would travel to Tappahannock to celebrate holy Communion.
In 1940, the original St. Timothy church was completed. During construction, missionary priests would celebrate Masses in schools and theatres. St. Timothy served as a mission church until 1972. From one generation to the next, the parish has remained as a beacon of the Catholic faith, with some members still traveling many miles, passing other closer Catholic churches along the way, to walk through its doors.
The community is as diverse as the landscape. Established families converge with the growing Hispanic community. Retirees worship alongside children. It is plagued by poverty in some parts with a lack of employment opportunities, but the community bands together despite economic, cultural and language barriers to continue the work of St. Timothy.
Father Gerald Musuubire has been pastor of St. Timothy since July 2019. He said there are also geographical hurdles to worshipping at the parish.
“Rivers, swamps, creeks — those things kind of separate us,” he said. “They distribute us differently, but with the spirit the people have for the parish, it is not an issue. They still come.”
Golden opportunity
Father Mussubire sees the golden jubilee as a golden opportunity to bring the community together after COVID. To him, the pandemic only made St. Timothy stronger.
“The pandemic was a blessing in disguise because although it kept us physically distant, it has still brought us together. Now we care about each other more. It helped us realize how important we are to each other,” he said, noting that parishioners are now more apt to check in with one another, to talk to each other more and to offer help.
Pat Hirsch and her family have been members of the parish since 2004. While it was a major adjustment moving from a large parish in Richmond to Tappahannock, she felt welcomed by the small family she found at St. Timothy. She serves as a lector and is on the sacred linens committee.
Hirsch has also served on the pastoral council, where she proposed St. Timothy join an existing program where various churches come together to provide a free monthly community dinner. Though COVID put a stop to it, she hopes it restarts soon. She also hopes more people learn of the many great works St. Timothy participates in and how it welcomes people of different cultural backgrounds.
“I would like people to know about us and the outreach efforts we do all year long,” she said. “I would like all to know we have a thriving Hispanic ministry at St. Timothy. I believe our Hispanic community gives our church a broader dimension of living out our Christian faith.”
With the golden jubilee, many were excited for the bishop to get to know the community.
“The main thing is to celebrate Christ, who has been in our presence since the beginning,” said Father Musuubire.
He credits the parish’s very survival to the strength and dedication of the community. Each time the parish was faced with an obstacle, they overcame it together. From raising money for a church building to providing community support to relying on visiting priests to paying its debt early, St. Timothy has always risen to the challenge.
While St. Timothy is no longer a mission church, it is a church with a mission. Several outreach programs are dedicated to helping the entire region.
St. Timothy is active in Essex Churches Together (ECT), a group made up of members of various denominations in Essex County who collaborate for social justice projects. They meet regularly to discuss the needs of different ministries and organize events to help. This can include anything from a food or clothes drive to helping pay medical or electricity bills for some residents.
‘Blessed to be a member’
Bill Carreras has been a member of St. Timothy for nearly his entire life; he formed his faith, friendships and family there. In boyhood, he and his brother were altar servers and were also tasked with cleaning the church and maintaining the grounds. Their mother taught CCD classes in their home, and priests would transport children from all over Tappahannock and neighboring towns to attend. His two daughters were baptized and confirmed in the church and still attend when they are home visiting.
“I witnessed my parents, other Catholic families and the missionary priests live their commitment to the faith, demonstrating the importance of a Catholic community,” Carreras said. “These values remain with me, and I consider it a blessing to have been a member of St. Timothy’s from the beginning.”
Carreras has served as a sacristan for the past 20 years. He was on the parish council and the committee to build the new church, which was completed in 2000 after the parish raised $1.1 million.
“Just to be a part of the church community has been rewarding,” he said. “From what we started from to what we’ve grown to, I think it’s amazing to survive this long.”
Having reached its 50th anniversary, the parish looks to the future.
While Tappahannock is a popular spot for vacationers during the summer months, St. Timothy has few young couples and children. Father Musuubire hopes to change that by building a strong youth group.
“My work is to take care of their spiritual welfare,” he said. “Through our faith, we have also tried to form the kids morally so they can thrive in society.”
That goal looks promising. Eight youth were confirmed on May 1 during the jubilee Mass — the highest number in recent memory.
Father Musuubire is also studying Spanish in hopes of strengthening his connection to the Hispanic community.
“It is our togetherness that has brought us this far,” he said.